Residents who campaigned for the lower speeds in the town yesterday called for safer driving around their township following Monday’s deadly collision in which two people died and four were critically injured.
The accident joins a long list of serious crashes on that stretch of road.
A woman who was involved in another fatal car accident there said she "wishes she could stop them all in their tracks and tell them what the next 30 seconds of time looks like".
"I wish everyone could walk a mile in my shoes — of someone who had, through no fault of my own, to witness such a fatal accident in slow motion and deal with it first hand.
"I feel sick there are more traumatised people out there having witnessed such [an event] and I mourn for those lost that no-one could save."
Waihola Looking Forward committee chairman Grant McDonnell said there had been several car crashes over recent years on that part of the road.
"That little stretch of road between Waihola and Titri is not a good one to try and overtake other people.
"I can't speak for the crash the other day, but that road does seem to have a lot of people making bad decisions," he said.
A Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency spokeswoman said Monday’s fatal crash was only 700m from the recently introduced 50kmh speed zone.
NZTA provided crash statistics for the past five years, showing in the 100kmh road between Allanton and Waihola there had been 59 injuries due to car accidents, 21 of those being serious.
Four people had died in car accidents on the road since 2018.
Former chairman of the Looking Forward Committee, Waihola resident Stu Michelle, petitioned for years to get the speed limit in Waihola lowered to 50kmh.
Yesterday, Mr Michelle said he did not think the numerous accidents on the stretch of road could be blamed on the speed limit.
"There really is nothing wrong with that stretch of road," he said.
The NZTA spokeswoman said a safety programme was planned for the Allanton to Waihola road.
"Essentially widening is proposed ahead of [installing a] median barrier with turning places and breaks,"
There would be community consultation on the plan later in the year.
SH1 Allanton to Waihola crashes (100kmh speed area only)
| Types of crash(number killed or injured | |||
| Year | Fatal crash | Serious injury crash | Minor injury crash |
| 2018 | 1 (1) | 6 (9) | 5 (12) |
| 2019 | 1 (1) | 4 (7) | |
| 2020 | 3 (4) | ||
| 2021 | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (3) |
| 2022 | N/A | 5 (10) | |
| 2023* | 1 (2) | 1 (6) | |
| *year to date |
